Two weeks ago the Art Directors Guild held an event in Hollywood celebrating the designs of Star Trek from The Original Series to the new JJ Abrams movie. On hand were production designers from Trek’s history. We previously reported with some pictures and quotes, but now video from the entire event is available online. See below for a breakdown and links to each part of the event.

VIDEO: Art Director’s Guild Honors Star TrekThe full evening is available below on video, including clips from the production designer’s work on Star Trek. It is broken into 13 parts at ADG.org. See below for direct links to the different segments from the night.

Harold Michelson – Production Designer ST: The Motion Picture + CreditsThe final clip is a 2000 recording of the late Harold Michelson talking about his work on Star Trek The Motion Picture. This is followed by an extensive list of credits for all those that worked in the art departments for Star Trek over the decades, along with some behind the scenes photos (put together by Mike & Denise Okuda).

Comments

I’ve never been able to say uniformly that Star Trek has had good writers, actors, or even composers, but the production design has always inspired me. Star Trek simply has been so far in the opposite of the usual chains-in-space “used future” that we get these days… there’s some excellent talent on that stage.

I’ll agree with #2. the marvels of Star Trek’s visual aspects, do one thing very well, almost better than any other method, and that is to make you think of what you thought before was not possible is now possible. In turn many try to learn how that is possible and educate themselves in how to make it possible.

As for #3, his comment is the old Apples and Oranges thing. And their is an easy reply that was used in the advertising of Star Trek:The Movie, and it is ‘This is not your fathers Star Trek. Why compare 21st century Movie stuff to 20th century TV stuff. I’ll take a guess commentary #3 author listens to Rap, since Rap is 95% ‘Their out to get me’ looking at things in a good way as a first view is very rare from this person.

It goes to show how music has such a power of framing someones points of view.

4. CmdrR, was that Warp 6 in a yellow Gremlin, I recall seeing a a comedy sketch in the 90’s about that. As Shoddy said when Capt. Jerk said I need more speed, the reply was Sorry Capt. this ship is not structured to hanle that speed, and by the way better start looking for an unleaded antimatter station soon because were almost running on fumes.

As much as I disagree with the brewery locale, it didn’t have a “grunge” look to it. Sure, it was a brewery, but a kept-up one with lots of sparkly lights and such. I don’t *agree* with the production choices for the movie, but I still defend them as on the whole some damn good design. Whether I think it feels like Trek… another issue (I mean, you could argue about which is true Trek, Roddenberry’s sterile TMP bridge or Meyer’s submarine look in TWOK and TUC.)

Hosannas to the men and women of the original Star Trek series, especially Matt Jeffries who contributed so much of the program’s look and feel. Do many of you have his son’s beautiful and touching biography? Anyway, those craftsmen were wonderful, creative people decades ahead of their time.

It makes me sad to read the ignorant insults from so many younger fans here who can be counted upon to write, “They used plywood for crying out loud!” How does one reply to such a sentiment? It comes from a radically different place, informed by something other than a love of theater and cinema, possibly the video/multiplayer gaming phenomena in which pixels on a screen are mistaken for flesh, blood, brick and mortar.

Oh, a quick note to the site editors: there is no such thing as “Star Trek The Original Series”. Not only is that a somewhat homely nickname, the first Star Trek program is called simply “Star Trek”. No need to rewrite history.

#11 C.S. Lewis, I’ve alway’s knew the 19666-69 Star Trek was just Star Trek, in 1990 when I started label my VHS tapes I started doing the ST:TOS and ST:TNG. I started to notice others doing the same when in 1993 Deep Space Nine came out. At that time most did ST:DS9, I did ST:DSN and over time people moved to using the N instead of 9. Most likely because before Letters have been used so why not keep using them.

I’m not saying that I invented the coding system, all I’m saying is similar minds think the same way no matter how brilliant or dumb the thoughts.

Actully started thinking the ST:name labeling system when the movies came out in the 80’s, because putting labels on the 2.25″ tape end labels was hard to fit all the letters in the full title. And double stacking tapes let you fit 2 tapes in the space of one. But DVD’s solved the storage space problem. I could fit 16 to 20 Jewel cases in the space of a tape. Thats thin or slim cases.

Amd 10 pack cases are 3 times better than full sized jewel cases. If I was still using VHS with my collection all my basement walls would be shelves with tapes on them, and losing quality as they ages. Still have around 600 VHS tapes sitting in boxes. Will sell the tapes when VHS tapes get rare and the used price of a quarter a tape. They cost me on average $1.00 for T-120’s and $1.25 for T-160’s.